Monday, August 31, 2015

Do you use social media? I pondered about advantages and disadvantages of social media and how we use it in a smart way. Facebook and Twitter require engagement that is beyond my capacity at the moment. As I'm working on new picture book projects, while being busy with the preparation of the book launch, the exhibition, watercolour workshops, competitions and so ons. It's enough and good work load, although some people ask me to join it. I'm still thinking of joining it or not, while observing social phonomena related to social media. In this very busy social media era, it's very important to hold the stance firmly and have a direction to go. Yet, we need to have flexibility that balances between catch-up with the trend of time and our own identity or life style.

In the analysis of advantages and disadvantages of social media,Benefits

Exclusion of a specific group eg) people without site membership or computer skills.

Its unpredictable impact on our future lives and society

What else?My research has found that current research essays are behind to well discuss the impact of social media and social changing. It seems that our society is rapidly moving away before analysing social media! Or data collection is difficult = Collected data gets out of date = too fast to change. What a busy time we are living! No one knows what's the impact of social media on our society and our lives. If so, we want to use internet and social media in a wise and healthy way.

Some suggestions to be a smart user of social media

Need to know legal knowledge at least "Copyrights Law," and "DMCA takedown notice". Study well and stay safe. **Each country has a different national law, but we need to know both national and international laws.

Check where to get help in case of hacker, image theft etc. Prepare the worst scenario or prepare rain while a sunny day.

Respect the privacy of individuals = Get a person's permission to post something related to personal information. Remember "confidentiality of information".

Don't open up or touch fishy information. Access first-hand information and use it.

Clarify information sources and show it ( eg. I use a "bibliography" like below). It is a social manner and "fair use" of information protects you from illegal copyrights intrusion.

What do you think? Or if you have had any headache in your internet experiences and if you have more suggestions, let us share them (*if you can. I respect privacy). In art activities, I'd tell myself, "Have my own colour". The same is true of my internet activities. Being as an information sender, it's important to take the responsibility of sending information. I might be behind a busy time and rapidly changing society though, I'll enjoy my own pace so far. I'm really happy to know regular visitors and new visitors coming to this weekly blog. I appreciate YOUR visits! Thank you for sharing time and pondering about many things in my posts!Oh, yes, I'm working on the selection of art works for the exhibitions and labelling along the plan and creating more images for the People of Parramatta like above.Friends, Happy Painting! Let us be smart social media users!

Colourful cultures and lovely linguistic diversity are the beauty of energetic Parramatta, which encompasses the future of Australia. Indeed, Parramatta is having a redevelopment and called, a "Future Generation". Already Parramatta is functioning as CBD. Also, in the People of Parramatta exhibition, I will run watercolour painting workshops as well as "Over the Moon with Watercolour exhibiton." Btw, have you ever thought of an insurance of an artist? Yes, I have. Ok, let's talk about the funds and how I use it.

Sadami KonchiSydney – Parramattahttp://sadamisgraffiti.blogspot.com.au/‘Over the Moon with Watercolour’a solo exhibition of illustrations from the picture book ‘Moon’ and visual art workshops at Chrissie Cotter Gallery run by Marrickville Council. The project will demonstrate and promote ‘Moon’s’ aesthetic value as visual storytelling and literacy. Awarded – $4650Visual Artist >>>>>>>>>>>
When I got the funds, first of all, I applied to NAVA Premium Plus Membership that has insurance. (*NAVA = National Association for Visual Artists) Only successful applicants can get it. I got it in two days! Very happy! Friends, if you run business as artists/professional artists, it's critically important to have a good insurance to cover safety, public liability and responsibilities. I really needed an insurance, because I will run watercolour painting workshops for people with disability, children and adults in the Moon exhibition and the People of Parramatta.

Insurance Coverage and Certificate of CurrencyThis is to confirm that as part of the Premium Plus Membership you are covered with an insurance package that is managed by Local Community Insurance Services (LCIS). It's available to artists,craftspeople, designers (where the design is non-structural in nature), conservators, installers, registrars, curators and arts administrators. This package includes:

Public Liability $20,000,000

Products Liability $20,000,000

Professional Indemnity Extension $5,000,000

Tenants Liability $10,000,000

Property in Custody and Control $100,000

The Certificate of Currency is a generic certificate, which covers all of NAVA's Premium Plus Members.

Cool, isn't it?

NAVA provides legal and cutting edge information all the time. They advoacate members well. Trustworthy peakbodies are very helpful. They are visual artists' great assets. Illustrators and and visual artists tend to be lone wolves. Being left behind from a social movement/changing and the lack of information is a fatal deficit, which will end up a blind alley in a pitch black future. To update myself, I often use peakbodies and contribute to them at the same time. It's not a coincidence that NAVA, ASA and Australia Council of Arts staff is coming to the Moon launch and the Moon exhibition. It's a mutual help and a healthy relation between a service provider and a client. Thank you very much for your strong support! Regarding the funds, you've got why I got so excited and could not speak well, when the notice came to me.I could not believe the amount awarded. I began to shiver and trembled.I told myself, "Calm down. Contact Editor and Mentors," and anyhow, picked up a hand set. Of course, they celebrated it though, my head was in a cloud and not sure my feet was on the ground. And... I cried in joy in a next moment. Then, I wrote a thank you letter to AARTS and sought for their advice of the procedure to release the grants. All is my first experience. I'm learning lot everyday. Now, I'm very busy with preparing of two solo exhibitions and a book launch. Gulp. I will do my best! Friends, come and join, "People of Parramatta"! I really look forward to seeing you. Let's have fun together. Happy Painting!

1)People of Parramatta:solo exhibition Nov to Dec 2)AARTS grants how I use

Monday, August 17, 2015

Are you enjoying creating a background in work? These years, I've been studying a background. I did not push myself too much and awaited my own inspiration would come up. It seems NOW, the time has come. In my view, a background is simple and a side actor in a portrait. As I often do a spot-on-work, sometimes background images sharply come up at places and sometimes, not at all. If "not at all", I'll suspend my brushes not to mess up work or overwork.

"Old man enjoying St Martin's summer"

I've begun to understand these critical things in my "hands" holding brushes. The point is the construction of value and its balance in whole work. The same is true of colours. I know, you may say, "I've heard it in other famous artists quotes." But I'm not a type to just repeat other artists' advice or theories straightforward. Until I can get why in my own hands and a heart, I cannot do it. Hahaha, you see my brain is not a matter. Until my sense accepts it, I keep drawing and the hands think of why in my own work. I need to digest other people's methods and pick up something, if it's beneficial to me. A surface understanding is not understanding for me. Once, my hands get it, I can do it at anytime and at anywhere in my own way. Now, I feel my hands getting something in creating a background. In other words, it's "design" of work. What do you do with a background? Do you work on it first or later or in parallel to a subject? I do all ways and it depends on my art work's expected result. In creating the firstly uploaded image, I painted the old man first at a market and added a background in a studio. My eyes tell me how to loose up a background to make a subject look good. I need to be more brave to play up in a background. (*but I celebrate my achievement!) Technically, I always enjoy washes = need thick papers. A4 Arche smooth 300gsm comes with me to anywhere in a backpack. A thin sketchbook paper does not please me any more. I use a sketchbook for black and white study and warm-up watercolour painting. Below, I sketched a gentleman on a sketchbook paper. Later, I felt like making a background for experiment. It did not work well, in my view, because of a thin paper (*I could not make washes well) and a poor value balance. Ever since, I go outside with thick Arche A4.

I'll explore the background of portraits. "Nulla dies sine linea."—"Not a day without a line drawn," said Appelles, a Greek painter (332–329 BC). Me, too. Drawing/watercolour painting always gives a new horizon and challenge. "Got something" means "Want to know more = early equal to know nothing or only a start," for me. Let me hear your story about creating backgrounds. In addition, we're in spring now. Light is so beautiful, which invites for watercolour painting outside with friends. Sydney Sketch Club members describe me as "the portrait lady." Unexpected and a great honour. I'll keep up. I'm getting lots of projects at once. Busy like a bee.Friends, Happy Painting!

Max's dad is far away on his fishing trawler and Max is missing him badly, until his dad tells him to look at the moon. Dad is looking at the moon too, the same one that is watching over Max.

About the author:Tasmania-based author Matt Zurbo has written numerous popular books for children of all ages, including Idiot Pride for Young Adults and Tommy Tucker for younger readers; and has written and illustrated the recent picture book, I Love Footie!About the illustrator:Sadami Konchi is a Sydney-based fine artist and prize-winning portraitist who specialises in watercolour. Moon is her first trade picture book.

It's a very high-profile bookshop, even our uni librarians check their book launch and information. My relation with Gleebooks has a long history. When I was at uni, our linguistics lecturer, Prof Jane Simpson, the expert of Aboriginal people's languages and Australian English launched "The Land Is a Map" at Gleebooks. I fell in love with Gleebooks. Its collection has covered from academia to picture books! Ever since, I've popped up our uni lecturers and other notable authors' book launches and met Gleebooks staff, Lynndy Bennett (Children's Manager at Gleebooks Pty Ltd).

I appreciate Lynndy'swarm cheers and her remembering me, this nameless children picture book illustrator for such long years! In addition and for Lynndy's honour, she was awarded to ABA Elizabeth Riley Fellowship for Children's Bookselling 2013. Also, I thank for Elizabeth
(Event manager), really a lovely lady and a wonderful poet. She's been helping me and encouraging me all the time! Liz will be our emcee of Moon launch. Friends, go and sketch bookshops! It may
open your another career.

Gleebooks welcomes me. Australian picture book industry top stars and publishing industry and fine arts peak bodies support me. I feel... I'm a Cinderella girl.... All my supporters have believed in my talents and outstanding craftsmanship or drawing skills. I was too shy to recognise it. Friends, we need some courage to trust in ourselves in a healthy manner.

"A dream is unrealised reality," has become my favorite say. Friends, come over our book launch and share joy with me. I want to give you big hugs. Happy Painting!

Monday, August 3, 2015

Unlimited ability and the potential in each person, I believe. I've worked with Wesley Mission again to carry out Building Dreams project. It has three purposes : respite for carers burnt out, inclusion of people with disability, public awareness of issues related to carers and clients.The first year attempt resulted in a great success. So, it comes back! A great honour, I'm appointed to be their mentor!! This program will go on for the future. Yey! Thank you for big cheers last year.

We had the final day of the watercolour workshop last week. It was wonderful. Clients really enjoyed watercolour and took initiatives. They gave me a huge "thank you card" with a big chocolate box. Oh, sweet! Really sweet. I asked them, "Let's share it?" But they would not.

Then, each of clients stood up and told me thanks with their own words. One client with the impairment in eye sights, firstly stood up. It was very unexpected for me. "Sadami is different. She dedicated. We learned different techniques, salt, crayons, blowing etc, for watercolour.... Thank you very much." I shed tears, tears of joy. She had been very quiet, but today, she often burst into a big laugh and enjoyed drawing! Each of the clients told me wonderful says. In the card, I found,

"DearSadamiTHANK YOU! For all your efforts teaching us and sharing your artistic gifts and sunny smile!" I sobbed again....

I assisted a client who could hardly move on a wheel chair. I had given him my watercolour painting of his dream, "riding a horse" before. Today, that work impressed the carers and they asked "Could we keep it at his home?" Yes, my pleasure! I sketched that client. He was very shy and could hardly smile. But in my eyes, his smiling was so beautiful and shining.

This year's clients were more difficult for me, a tutor, than the clients of a last year because of the degree of disabilities. But once, they opened their hearts and when we became friends, so lovely. I, today, never feel they have disabilities. Who said that? Now, they can make beautiful watercolour paintings. I want the clients to enjoy watercolour painting and my solo exhibition!! Soon, Wesley will have their own exhibition and an auction. I can't wait! I believe nothing can ristrict the potential and ability, although I'm very practical. Sometimes we feel life is tough and sad. But it's up to us how we see reality. A real fact does not have sadness or happiness. It depends on our view and a value system. My clients are my genuine heros. Think of Prof Stephen Hawking. His life story has encouraged me, too. I'm certain my difficulty is easy piecy like a mosquite's-bite-scale trouble. My lovely GP once said, "Don't be a complainer." No. (*I often make the GP laugh with my cartoons and bring always new project news that excites the GP!) I hope my art work will bring others hope, love and dream.

Thank you, Wesley, for giving me an opportunity to share time with our wonderful clients. Wesley already wants me to work on another bigger project in a disability sector a next year. A children picture book illustrator and fine artist, in my personal opinion, is the best job in the world! Friends, Happy Painting!!

About Me

Award winning fine artist, enthusiastic children's picture book illustrator, portraitist and event/conference sketcher, Sydney based. Greatest strength: "Empathic portraits". Spontaneous and beautiful. Outstanding speed and accuracy. In only a few minutes, my quick portraits capture models in any posture with any facial expression on spot. Figures appear lively and emotionally. My linguistic training enables me to analyse the text in detail and organise appropriate story boards for the target audience. Sociological methods and research skills are used to capture insights from a text. The work bridges between a text, reality and imagination. Style is broad from whimsical cartoons to fine art for multifarious subjects. Japanese naitve speaker. Enjoy my works in StyleFile